Report: Leafs to play at Capitals in outdoor game March 3, 2018

Mark March 3rd, 2018 on your calendar and book a roadie to Annapolis, Maryland, as the Leafs will be facing off against the Washington Capitals in an outdoor game held at Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium.

Two people with knowledge of the situation say the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs will play an outdoor game at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, next season.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the NHL had not announced the event. The game is scheduled to be played March 3 at the 34,000-seat Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium that hosts Navy football games.

It will be the first NHL outdoor game at a U.S. service academy, though quite possibly not the last. The league has explored doing games at the Army’s home at West Point and at the Air Force Academy.

The Leafs are currently 2-0 in outdoor games, winning in a shootout in the 2014 Winter Classic over Detroit and winning 5-4 off an Auston Matthews winner, also against Detroit earlier this year in the 2017 Centennial Classic.

I’m no genius, but I’m guessing this decision is slightly factored into that really fun yet still disappointing playoff series. Good on the NHL I guess.

Say what you want about a lot of outdoor games, but I for one won’t soon forget that Auston Matthews winner.

Here’s to 3-0 in contests being played in the natural elements. I don’t recall a game being played as late as March outside, but due to the modern technology wonders, it’s not likely to be an issue weatherwise.